Companies Banning Employees From Discussing The Covid-19

fmdog44

fmdog44

Well-known Member
Location
Houston, Texas
In this weeks Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine there is an article about some of the companies prohibiting their employees from any discussions of the Covid- 19 virus. Not surprising as I have experienced first hand of corporate cover ups of people killed on the job and racism. Some of the companies mentioned in this article are McDonalds, Target, Cheesecake Factory, Cargill, General Electric, Urban Outfitters, Smithfield Foods, Recreational Equipment Inc., Delta, Great Dane LP, Jeans Extrusions, LiqGo, Burger King, General Motors, FedEx, Haliburton, 7Eleven, Tufts University Walmart, Amazon, Warby Parker Retail and Maid-Rite Specialty Foods LLC. It points out there are cases of OSHA calling companies in advance of a visit/inspection so the company can pass. Of the thousands of complaints to OSHA about the Covid-19 policies only two companies, a nursing home and a health-car company have been fined for a total of $47,000. The NRLB refused to comment on this and the Dept. of Labor, OSHA's parent said, "The agency continues to field and respond to complaints". So if you have it or know of someone that has the virus just keep you mouth shut or lose your job.
 

They're considered HIPAA violations. Most of these places have HIPAA policies in place now when it comes to discussing co-workers or other people you know. Especially with this COVID situation because it can be dangerous to that employee. It's a safety issue for them as well.
 
It's one thing if a person discloses their own medical information, but HIPAA prohibits others from disclosing it.

I guess people would get infected whether they opened their mouths or not. Leave the job? Manager quarantines the sick person who told everybody they tested positive? These are strange times, indeed.

Maybe prohibiting conversation has something to do with morale?
 
RadishRose said:
It's one thing if a person discloses their own medical information, but HIPAA prohibits others from disclosing it.

I guess people would get infected whether they opened their mouths or not. Leave the job? Manager quarantines the sick person who told everybody they tested positive? These are strange times, indeed.

Maybe prohibiting conversation has something to do with morale?
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I'd say it has to do with morale as well.
 
fmdog44 said:
"In this weeks Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine there is an article about some of the companies prohibiting their employees from any discussions of the Covid- 19 virus."
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The article is clear that these attempts to muzzle COVID discussions are in direct conflict with employees' right to free speech.

While HIPAA (rightly) prevents managers or Human Resources reps from discussing an employee's medical records, employees themselves are free to talk about whatever they'd like (security issues aside) while at lunch, on break or outside the workplace, including their personal health fears or conditions.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/feat...-issue-gag-rules-to-stop-workers-from-talking
 
I'm lucky I don't work, I guess, because I'd have a hard time keeping my mouth shut about the fact that my state has added in the past 24 hours 9,971 more positive tests, my county added 380 and my zip added 3 bringing total in my zip to 325. Another 314 state residents died , county 12.

Current state hospitalizations are now at 39,158 which indicate severe recent infection or major lingering after effects.

This is data issued by the state of Florida and posted daily.

I see no reason to dwell on these figures but all need to be aware. This is not over and it's stupid to try to pretend that it is.
 
Some people are so immature and cliquish though. Example: Someone tests positive and has a relative working in the same place. The clique goes to management and demands the relative be quarantined too just in case, even though the relative doesn't live with the one who tests positive. Management says no, so the clique refuses to work near the relative and gets everyone picking sides making the work environment so chaotic, actual work begins to decline. Don't tell me this doesn't ever happen, people are nutso.
 
I was under the impression that if a person becomes infected with COVID-19, anyone that had contact with the person within the past 72 hours must also quarantine. To ensure that there is no loss in wages, all of the employees that are quarantining will fall under the CARES Act and be compensated through unemployment, plus the extra $300-400.

If anyone in the department takes the COVID-19 test and the test comes back positive, same thing applies. This is what I have read on our bulletin board. Maybe different rules for different states? I had the test 2 weeks ago and had to take the paper from the lab with me back to work to show that I was negative.
 
Maybe prohibiting conversation has something to do with morale?
Click to expand...

That has never worked, and never will. Forbidding conversation about certain topics just leads to whispering, rumors, false "facts," etc.

So we're living in the midst of a potentially fatal virus, but are not allowed to talk about it? Sounds like something out of a science fiction dystopian novel!

I don't know anything about HIPAA, but I imagine that its regulations are meant to protect the privacy of employees. So it would make sense for health professionals, or anyone at that company whose job involves knowledge of people's health records, refrain from any kind of casual gossip about those health records. But it's hard to imagine a company forbidding all employees from any discussion of the Covid-19 virus. That would be impossible in the world we're living in.
 
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